Functional Fitness · Conditioning
Single-Arm Ski Erg
The Single-Arm Ski Erg is a conditioning exercise that uses one arm to pull a cable handle downward. It trains upper-body endurance and your ability to keep your torso steady against an uneven pull.
- Beginner
- Low injury risk
- Rest 45 sec
How to do it
- Stand facing the machine with your feet hip-width apart and knees slightly bent.
- Leave the unused handle in its resting position.
- Grasp the working handle above your head at a comfortable reach.
- Pull the handle toward your thigh with a small forward hinge at your hips.
- Guide the handle back to the starting position as you stand upright.
Form cues
- Keep your shoulder away from your ear.
- Finish with a long arm.
- Exhale on each pull.
Common mistakes
- Twisting toward the working sideKeep your shoulders and hips facing the machine throughout the stroke.
- Jerking the cordBuild pressure smoothly through the pull rather than yanking the handle.
- Reaching too highShorten the return if reaching overhead makes you arch your lower back.
Safety
Forceful pulls or excessive resistance can strain your shoulder or lower back, especially when fatigue makes the single-sided load harder to control.
- Check that the cord retracts freely before starting.
- Begin with short intervals at low resistance.
- Do not let go of the handle while the cord is extended.
- End the interval when you can no longer maintain controlled strokes.
If you have shoulder or back pain, ask a physiotherapist about a suitable range of motion or alternative before using this movement.
Muscles worked
Primary muscles
Secondary muscles
Equipment
- Ski Ergometer
Sets and reps
- Sets
- 2–4
- Target
- 20–40 seconds per arm
- Rest
- 45 sec
Use equal time on each side at a pace you can sustain without rushing.